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Advocacy Toolkit

Advocacy Resources

Parity "War Room", an online advocacy resource center for 2007 federal parity legislation advocacy efforts. Includes: sample talking points, letter templates, resource materials. Arranged and hosted by Capitol Decisions, Inc. (Note: user must enter password "1424docs" to enter site.)

Expanding Your Influence: Effective Techniques for Grassroots Advocacy, a PowerPoint presentation provided by Advocacy Associates, LLC.

How Do I Call Congress and What Do I Say?

Glossary of Congressional Terms

Blueprint for the States, policy recommendations for states regarding alcohol and drug prevention and treatment.

Improving the Quality of Health Care for Mental and Substance-Use Conditions, a 2005 Institute of Medicine report.

Useful Websites

THOMAS, Legislative information from the Library of Congress.

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Senate

SAMHSA, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

ONDCP, Office of National Drug Control Policy

NIDA, National Institute on Drug Abuse

NIAAA, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

NIMH, National Institute of Mental Health

Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems, Provides research-based information on effective alcohol treatment.

Join Together, Resource for alcohol and drug policy, prevention and treatment.

Time to Talk, a website of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, designed to encourage and empower parents to have ongoing discussions with their kids about the risks of drug and alcohol abuse.

National Alcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery Month

Advocacy Action Items

Urge Congress to Pass A Mental Health and Addiction Parity Act this Year

Both the US House and US Senate have passed bills that would require certain group health plans to offer mental health and addiction insurance benefits that are on par with the benefits provided for medical and surgical services. Now, the two chambers of Congress must reconcile the significant differences in these two bills and send a single, compromise bill to the President for his signature. Please urge your Member of Congress to make this happen: 1. Call, fax or email your Senators and ask them to sign on to a letter currently circulating on Capitol Hill that encourages passage of parity legislation this year. 2. Ask your Senators to please compromise specifically in the areas of definition of diseases covered, out of network benefits, transparency and consistency of medical necessity criteria and protection of state laws. 3. Call, fax or email your Representative and ask him/her to please consider compromises on the House bill in order to pass parity legislation this year. [Contact your U.S. Representative] [Contact your U.S. Senator]

Support the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, H.R. 1108, S. 625
	On February 15, 2007, both chambers of Congress introduced legislation that would authorize the Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco products. Urge your Members of Congress to support these bills! [Contact your U.S. Representative] [Contact your U.S. Senator]

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